François Le Guen: Guest photographer 2024
A self-taught photographer, freelance writer and architect by training, my work is rooted in a social and documentary approach, moving towards a free and subjective artistic form. My photographic practice is inextricably linked to the personal relationships I develop with those I meet through the camera. My interest in other people has led me to develop the portrait as my preferred mode of representation. The image is constructed patiently, awaiting a further encounter between reality and photographic projection.
Website : www.francoisleguen.com
Instragram : @francois_leguen
Featured series: De nos mains
“Intelligence is the solitary strength to extract from the chaos of one’s own life the handful of light sufficient to illuminate a little further than oneself – towards the other out there, like us lost in the dark.”
L’inespérée, Christian Bobin
Somewhere in Provence, an ancient hamlet, initially in ruins, continues to build and rebuild, stone by stone. For over half a century, it has been home to a welcoming community of men and women who have passed on the values of solidarity and respect along the way. An echo chamber for our society and its ills, especially its dead ends. A shelter, a refuge, to rebuild oneself for the duration of a stay or an entire life. The diversity of ages, origins and backgrounds blends into a collective effort, a transmission of knowledge and a culture of sharing. Everyone works with their hands to ensure their own balance and that of the group, through agricultural, forestry and construction work, as well as stewardship duties and community life.
The omnipresence of nature, and the isolation it confers, ward off once-invasive temptations. It, too, is an object of contemplation, that of the same cycle endlessly renewed in the infinity of its variations. Day after day, the vibrant, living part of us that we no longer thought we saw in ourselves comes a little closer. It’s a question of talent, know-how, fraternity, dreams and sometimes even rebirth. The miracle is forged in the reality of everyday life, in the light of its contradictions, in the discretion and modesty of its promise: that of a better world.
“There’s something really big happening in front of the imposing Luberon mountain range. I’ve met wolves who’ve become lambs, sick people who’ve been cured, unstable people who’ve been stabilized, rebuilding a village of stone and culture, friendship and love.” (anonymous extract)
These photographs, selected especially for the “Festival des Nuits Photographiques de Pierrevert”, are the result of a long-term project within the community. They bear witness to the strength of the people we meet, to the essentiality of the margins, and seek to convey a sensitive account of what we might call the soul of a place. The results of this exploration are captured in the ambient light through the abstraction of the medium-format negative.
Some photos from the “De nos mains” series
